The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-04-15
ROUsTABOTTs- SONGS.
vocal Music on Boat and Lcyce at New
Orleans

ROUsTABOCTs- SONGS.
vocal Music on Boat and Ieyce at New
Orleans.
The last bale Of cotton having been roll
ed on board with many 'heaye ho.1 from
the darby crew, the happiest hour in the
improvident, devil-may-care existence OF
the Mississippi river ronstabout is at hand.
Roasting on railing, rope coils and cotton
bales on the rear deck like a convention OF
dilapidated scarecrows. they are waiting to
respond to the farewell songs of friends
and sweethearts congregated on the levee.
Farewell, broders, ii yo's gwine 70 10 90,
Wen weep 10 to see yo' face once mo-.
walls ont dusky maiden on the shore, and
con de lebee by tho ribber side
roll the united voices.
I've left my gin in New Orleans.
Fo' she is young, jcs in har teens
thrills thin tenor from the deck and again
con dc lcbee by de riber side
swells the refrain:
Ducks play cyards an chickens drink winc
An de monkey grow ON de grape vine
Con sta'ch pudding and tapioci, pie.
Oh. de gray cat pick out the brHck cats eye
thriilingiy announces the heavy bass,
while the dual crowd breaks into united
rhythmieal sway at the rousins refrain:
walk that, Loo. o Miss Loo:
An.ah, ali. heah We 60:
Fo' We all gwine 70 10 leahe you, good-by
good-by.
Fo' VIC all gwine 10 to leabe you, zood-by
Liza Jane
The echo scarcely dies away when a ri
val songster on the shore begins:
.Monkey dress in soldier close;
Al cross ober to Jordan,
Went out in De woods 70 to drill de crowd:
O:Ja-ru-s:-lem.
jay bird sat on ole hickory limb;
All cross ODER to Jordan.
mp wild a rock and hit him on de chin:
o. Ja-rU-sa-lem.'-
And then the excited crowd sweeps with
wild enthusiasm into:
i.shine on: shine on. All cross oberto Jordan.
Then shine ON! shine on: Ja-ru--a-lem,-'
Next a woman's figure breaks out from
the leyee crowd with waving arms and
swaying body and proclaims in ringing
treble:
ooh, long 10 to reach dat heavenly Sh"-
To meet OF Peter stan in at de do.
He say to me, 20, how You do:
Come sit right yonder in de golen pew;
Fo' des God colo'd people do go cah troo
To dip in de golen sci,.
And the sympathetic brethren swells the
melodious
Den dip me. bave me:
sisters, you and me.
Come git i'll de boat, 70 we I'll ewine 10 float
Fo' TO dip in de goren sea-
This is evidently a favorite air and the
throng becomes frantic with enthusiasm as
it repeats it with many quaint stanza.
An ecstatic sister takes up the burden
again with
Good Mr.. jesus Il sitting in de prov,
Come all 80 niggahs make yoa bow.
Oh: look down ON dc world below
I'M watch dem white trash shuDblin snow
Whileangel fishes da nip my toe
While dip in lie eol'en sea-
Then the responsive chorus swells out,
and again the basso profundo of the
crew determines the sister shall not have a
monopoly of the solo parts so he breaks
in and crushingly refers to the erratic
mother of them all:
ooh. Adam he was fus bniit man.
OATS iis' what de Good Book say:
And Ebe come mex den sin began
Oats jis' what de Good Book say.
Ebc bite dc apple right in two,
a wicked fing 70 Ebe to do:
Yes. dat's what de Good Book say
But his efforts to silence them is futile,
for they Join with him i'll unabated guisto in
Oats ies' what de Good Book say it am:
Yes, OATS what de Good Book say:
jos read it froo' You'll find it true,
10 dat- what lie Good Book say
Another biblical expounder is quick at
hand to continue the song:
..Dah wah man. he name wah Lot
OATS jis what de Coed Book say:
I'M he hab a wife an daughter got.
Dat jis' what de Good Book say
He wife She balll an make 4 halt,
An dc Lord he Turn hah into salt:
oh. OATS what de Good Book say.
But the swaying, intoxicating crowd on
shore is now fast receding from view, and
the boats many voiced crew unites with
heart stirring earnestness in:
Use gwine tom dc cotton fields, l~e gwine
fom de cane,
Iso gwine rom lie oil log hut dat stan, down
i'll de lane;
De beat am in de ribber, dat comes to take
me OFF,
An Use gwine to jine de exodus. and strike
out TO dc no'f.
And afar over the moonlit waters faint
notes of weird melodies came floating like
distant echo of this pathetic strain
CLisq1O Her1r3